St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-17
T0SAVE THEIR NECKS.
A Mass Meeting Protests
Against the Decision in
the Anarchists Case.
Parsons Letter to Emil Con-
slant Read and Received
With Enthusiasm.
Resolutions Asking Clemency
for the Condemned From
Gov. Oglesby.
The Claim That Innocent Men
Will be Murdered at
the Hanging.

The gay freseolng on the ceiling of
Turner hall was not much in keeping
with the sober dress and solemn faces
of the 400 men, women and children
who met there last night to protest
against the hanging of the Chicago
anarchists. The meeting was called by
the Independent Socialistic Union of
st. Paul, Endorsed by the Trades and
Labor Assembly of st. Paul, and Seemed
to be heartily i'll accord with the an
nounced object. Behind the speakers
on the stage Was the scenic representa-
ton of a rose garden, III which two
lovers wandered hand in hand. If it
had been the picture of a grated
prison. with gallows in the retrospect,
it would have accorded much more with
the sentiment of the occasion. But the
stage settings were not arranged with
any view to effect. The hall was not
heated. and only few of the gas jets
were lighted, but the speeches were
fiery enough TO keep the blood of the
SympathizerS at a boiling point. The
time Of the speakers was divided be-
tween cOndemning the capitaliStic
press, curSing the decision of the courts
lies and eXtolling the virtues of the con-
demned anarchists, who were often al
luded to as martyrs to the cause of the
labor movement.
Emil ConStat a member of the trades
and labor assemblies, presided at the
meeting and opened the proceedings by
reading
LETTER FROM A. Il. PARSONS,
which he preceded with the following
Introductory remarks:
\ great many people think the anarchists
never did any good to the labor movement.
know there are many in St Paul who are
of that belief, To show, that they are in
error l wish 10 read the following letter re-
ceived yesterday from A. r. Parsons in re-
Spouse to request from myself.
The letter from Parsons was received
with considerable enthusiasm by the
meeting. 1t was dated at the Cook
County jail, Chicago, and was written
on fine linen paper, in Parsons own
hand-a beautiful specimen Of penman-
ship.
Prison CELL %, CHICAGO, H., Oct IS,
1SS7.-Mr. Emile Constant, Dear Sir and
Brother: Your kind letter of the 11th inst.
concerning the condemned anarchists $50
called) is received. To you and the working
people who assemble at your proposed mass
meeting in St. Paul next Sunday (Oct. 16)
we join in fraternal salutations. This is
meet and proper, as the present unhappy
situation of the condemned men is the result
of their active, earnest, increasing labors as
organizers, orators and writers on behalf of
the labor movement. 1t is. of course. the
studied purpose of our prosecutors to mislead
and deceive the uniformed to prejudice and
excite them against us. To this end the cap
italiSt press, as Il rule, pervert and distort
everything concerning us, and manufacture
and scatter falsehoOds to suit their evil de-
signs. Thus they create 'GorgOn
monster and name it an
arch.y But 1every Intelligent wage
mask TO cover up their real designs upon Or
ganized labor. The experience of myself
and condemned comrades affords undisputa-
bic proof of the purpose of aggrandized
wealth TO crush out the aspirations of the
working class for Il better existence. Take
the records of each of us-the entire eight
up to and preceding the fatal May 4, 1856.
Briefly it shows: Samuel Fielden. as vice
president of the Transfers union as far back
as 1880. actively engaged in organizing trade
andlahor unions, addressing mass meetings
OF workingmen in Ohio Indiana, Michigan
and elsewhere on behalf of the eight-hour
workday. The few days preceding the Hay
market meeting for May 4, 1856, he was
after his days work of twelve and fourteen
hours labor as stone yard teamster engaged
at night time organizing and addressing the
Butchers union at the stock yards, the Lum-
Der Showers union, Masters and Brewers I'M
Ion, the Wagonmakers union, the Cabinet
makers union and many other eight-hour
meetings. He. with Michael Schwab, August
Spies and myself, were the invited speakers
of the Central Labor union, of Chicago, con-
sisting of twenty-three trades unions, at the
great eight-hour demonstration held April
%, 1SS6-one week before the Haymarket
mass meeting-where % 900 organized work
men assembled to proclaim the eight-hour
workday.
Take the record of Louis Lingg, the young
carpenter, not twenty-one years old, but a
member of the arpenters' union, one of its
most active organizers and speaker at their
mass meetings.
And Adolph Fischer, the printer. member
of Typographical union No. 8, an able
writer, and for years an ardent supporter of
the demands of organized labor.
And Michael Schwab, member of the Book
binders union, and assistant editor of Ger
man labor paper. an orator of great power at
mass meetings and organizer Of
WoRKINGMEN AND WOMEN.
Mr.. Schwab. preceding the 4th of May,
1886, addressed, i'll company with myself
the iron moulders local assembly, Knights of
Labor, which had been forced to strike
against the eXactOns of the Mccormick
reaper factory. He also spoke at trade union
meetings as follows: Furniture workers.
metal workers, lumber showers, carpenters
bakers butchers knights of Labor brick
makers, fresco painters and many other
unions up to May 4, 1886, and on that night
addressed a mass meeting of 1900 eight
hour strikers at behring's Keeper works, five
miles distant from the Haymarket meeting
Mr.. SchWab is, as is each of the eight prison
ers, an honorary member of the bakers and
carpenters unions, and likewise a member
tional Working Peoples association ALI
the above mass meetings were addressed by
Mr. SchWab in the interest of the eight-hour
movement.
The same is true of August Spies He adj
dressed some of the meetings where Schwab
spoke but also many others OH behalf of the
eight-hour movement. He visited Omaha at
the request of the Knights of Labor and adj
dressed them on the eight-hOur movement;
also the Knights Of Labor at Grand Rapids,
Mich. Mr.. Spies was also editor of a labor
paper His whole life for years past has been
devoted to the furtherance of the interests
and aims of organized labor.
Oscar Neebe, who did not know of The hay
market meeting till the next day, and is now
in the penitentiary serving, a fifteen years
term. was found guilty by the court aud jury
of organizing the grocery clerks, the brewers
and the bakers into different unions, increas-
ing their wages and reducing their work
hours from fourteen to ten. He was also
marshal OF some of Chicago's greater
LABOR DEMONSTRATIONS.
He is timer by trade and member of his
union.
George Engle, painter, and member of his
nnion, was noted for his eartnestness in Or
ganizing the workingmen and addressing
labor meetings.
OF myself will only say that for twelve
years past have been knight of Labor and
for fourteen years past a member of Typo
graphical Union No. 16. have organized
many trades unions and addressed many
hundred labor meetings in all parts of the
United States in behalf OF the eght-hour
movement. have visited many portions of
the United States on invitation of the Knights
of Labor and addressed them. On Sunday
May 2, 1856. l addressed the eight hour dem
onstration of the Cincinnati Ohio Trades
assembly, which had invited me for that pur-
pose. Tuesday, May 4, 1 returned to Chi
cago, and that evening myself and Mr.
Fielden were attending meeting held in be-
half of the sewing girls and the
eighthour work day, when com
mittee from the Haymarket meet
ing came in and invited us to speak at
the Haymarket. My wife and two children
"a girl of five years and boy of seven years)